Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-30

women into the Mothers meeting
 Mrs. Finken has had charge of meetings | at mission stations, conducted 98 meet l ngs and provided for 10 others. At these l meetings more than 200 requests for prayer | were received, 20 Bibles were given to fami- l lies or persons without Bibles and unable to | buy them, 20 families promised to establish 1 family prayer, and 80 other persons promised l to begin daily Bible reading and prayer. Of 50 persons assisted to reform bad habits 30 were apparently reformed. The hospital was visited 70 different times and 100 patients called upon. The almshouse was visited 25 times and the jail 23 times during the year. 10 cases of destitution were brought to the notice of the Board of Charities or other re- lief agencies, and 30 families were privately provided for wholly or in part. 200 pieces of clothing were given to needy persons, over l 1000 papers, tracts, etc., distributed, and fruit and other delicacies, with 800 bouquets of flowers, were taken to the sick.
 At the close of the year it became necessa- " either to secure Mrs. Finken's services for her whole time or lose her services altogether by her removal from the city. As the result of a statement of this fact through the pa- pers and otherwise, subscriptions were se- cured sufficient to meet the necessary expense for the present winter. It is hoped there will never be time in the future when less will be done in this direction than in the mast. Rather should it he believed that with such wealth of this world as has been en- trusted to their care, the Christian women of this city will send out additional representa- tives of their own number, not only across the seas, but among the women and girls aud little children here at home who are as desti- tute of spiritual riches as those in heather lands.
 During the past winter Mir. William Wiedenhoeft, a student of Yale seminary, was assigned the mis- f0 Ton bos d house I he fonnd Within only few squares about 75 persons without Christian was able to have religious conversation Bible read ing prayer at least 20 became interested in their established in this missionary district and IA meet ings held from week to week, with an attendance of cured other students of the seminary as volunteer hslpers at the mission station under his care.
 services of another of the students, Mr. Q. B. F. Pease were secured for portion of t his time To house in the missionary parish of about 30 fquares 6e G5 s o he Fo rh and Fifth wards. With every family not attending regularly at some church he left printed card or inv1tation ports opportunities for religious conversation with about 300 persons 50 families ot about 29o persons Brought to Sunday schools Also 10 visits to the reported to others for their attention, 10 sson ers Mr Pease made about 1000 additional calls in connection with the canvass lately undertaken by the different Sabbath schools of the city for the pur pose of finding and bringing under Sabbath school care children not now attending regularly at any school.
 Second, Volunteer Work. There are eight different departments of city mission work in which volunteer service has been given during the past year. viz: District visiting; Mission stations; Pastors helpers; Sabbath school visiting; Bible readers; Visitors at the hospital, almsheuse and jail; Flower mis- sions; and Friendly visitors to the poor. Within the limits of this report brief men ff 1x- he 5o oEf f6o which is hereby acknowledged from four groups of volunteer workers, viz: Churches, seminary students, the Woman's Board of City Missions and individual workers.
 G.) CHURCHES.
 Four denominations, Methodist, Baptist, Congre- members of twelve churches who have engaged in some part of volunteer mission work during the as follows: The United church, Davenport, St. John street Methodist, Church of the Redeemer, First Presbyterian, Dwight Place church. Taylor, First Methodist College street church. Calvary Bap tist, Howard avenue Methodist and First Congrega-
 Six of these churches have sustained mission sta tions assisted in carrying on mission meetings; meetings held at the central mission rooms; mem bers of four churches have visited from house to house in sections taken th9 missionary districts of these churches and from eight churches there has been the visiting of families under missionary worthy of special mention that one of these church meets the entire expense Of providing hall city and also that the Christian Epdeavor societies connected with this church and three other church. during three months of the present ear.
 @ SEMINARY STUDENTS.
 Upon the list of B students of Yale seminary who have given volunteer service in mission work during the year are 15 who were assigned regular work he hospital, at mission stations or in vsi ting families under missionary care and IS others who assisted at different times in various mission meetings; At the hospital as for number of years day of each week. Another committee took entire charge of the Sabbath services for part of the year at the branch mission hall Gofe street.
 During the eight months of the seminary year their work included the following: Total number of
 about 250 persons besides over 300 sick persons the hospital; conversation Bible reading or prayer form 1 bad habits 4S persons expreSsed interest in religious life with several instances of conversions and of persons restored to Christian living: visits to hospital 128 on sick list sl6; calls sick 1s20; mission stations under care B. with assistance given at other stations; religious meetings conducted, 102 besides attendance and help at many others; reading matter distributed, ,OS2 papers, &c., with Bibles where persons were found without copy of the scriptures.
 (3.) THE wonIAN's BOARD OF CITY MISSIONS.
 This department of city missions is made up of ladies of different churches of the city, and also of several denominations. Its pres ent membership is thirty-niRe. Its regular meetings are held on the firs6sFriday of each month. Officers are elected once in six months. The special work of this board is among women and children of families who may be lacking in Christian care or kindness. The different committees have carried on, as heretofore a Mothers meeting, Girls Sew ing school and Children's meeting, each held weekly and including in all between 300 and 400 members.
 Mrs. H. B. Sturgess, as chairman Of the committee on the Mothers meeting, reports 674 yards of cloth supplied at part cost during the year. and 223 garments made at the meet ings under the guidance of members of the committee. The meetings are held at the mission rooms each Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock. The membership is between 30 and 40 Great interest is shown in the de- votional exercises at the close of each meet ing, and some come to this who are unable to get there for the other exercises. They say they feel it to be rest and refreshment to them in the midst of the hard work of the week.
 Mrs. J. E. Goodwin, in charge of the Girls Sewing school, reports about 60 mem bers who are instructed in the making and mend- ing of articles of clothing for themselves, the preparing of quilt-work and in habits of per sonal neatness. Mrs. s. M. Finken, who conducts the Children's meeting, reports nearly 300 children enrolled as members and pledged against intoxicating drinks, to- bacco and profanity. This pledge is re- peated weekly and instruction is given to guard the children from dangers by which they might otherwise be ensnared. The exercises of the Girls Sewing school and the ChiIdren's meeting are held at the mission rooms on Saturday afternoons, the former at two o'clock and the latter at three o'clock.
 During the past year at Thanksgiving time each of the families represented at the Mothers meeting was provided with good dinner through the board of charities, and at the usual Mothers tea partyi' there were about 100 present The children gave excellent programme of recitations singing etc., in connection with the New Years entertainment, and again at their Easter exercises in the spring. In the summer five carloads of children were sent to the west shore with dinners and lunch and other arrangements for an all-day's enjoyment, and the members of the Mothers meeting were provided with cake fruit and ice cream and ride the country to Short Beach where tea was also served for them by Mrs. Hitchcock who had invited them to her cottage there.
 The womans board has fitted up of the mis- sion rooms at No 1S6 Meadow street not only for their own meetings but also as reading room for women and girls. It is open daily and without ex- pense to any who may wish to visit it. In the gen. eral Work of the board 2O3 calls made by such
 members as were able to visit families 73 articles of